more on The FBI runs a fake candidate

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Paul Levy <plevy () citizen org>
Date: December 3, 2005 5:16:13 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] The FBI runs a fake candidate

the odd thing about the story as it ran in the Washington Post was  
that, so far as I could tell, this whole sting had led to ONE  
prosecution -- not even of the guy who took the money from the  
cooperating politician, but someone to whom the recipient handed half  
the money.  The actual recipient also got immunity for his testimony

Paul Alan Levy
Public Citizen Litigation Group
1600 - 20th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009
(202) 588-1000
http://www.citizen.org/litigation

> > > David Farber <dave () farber net> 12/3/2005 3:21 PM >>>


Begin forwarded message:

From: "Steven M. Bellovin" <smb () cs columbia edu>
Date: December 3, 2005 1:06:45 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Subject: The FBI runs a fake candidate

According to the AP wire (see
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Election-Sting.html),
the FBI sponsored a "candidate's" run for the West Virginia legislature,
as part of an investigation of political corruption, and in particular
vote-buying.  The "candidate" -- a long-time local politician who has
himself pleaded guilty to corruption charges -- withdrew a month before
the election, and finished last.

The whole scheme makes me very uneasy.  I can understand the FBI's
motives -- how else can you investigate vote-bying?  But this has
great potential for mischief, since it lets law enforcement affect
the political process *on speculation* that there's a problem.  This
is very different from prosecuting a politician when you have evidence
of corruption.

The district court judge has upheld the tactic; it will be
interesting to
see what happens if and when this reaches higher courts.


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